Non-League and Academy football writer

PFC Victoria London faced Westside FC in a Combined Counties Football League Division One fixture, on Tuesday night at Slough Town’s Arbour Park ground (this was because the 3G pitch at Ashford Town is still currently being laid). PFC Victoria London started this game in 15th place in the league table, after 19 league matches played. The visiting side on Tuesday, Westside, started this game in second place in the league standings, after 23 league matches played. This step 6 match was won 5-1 by Westside, who played some fantastic football during the game, right from kick-off. In fact less than two minutes into this match, on a bitterly cold night in Slough, Westside would take the lead. It was a move which started with their goalkeeper, Sebastian Hunt, with Benjamin Anderson then receiving the ball out on the left flank. Anderson would continue forward with the ball, down the left flank, before crossing it to the near post, where centre-forward Joe Robertson was there to volley home, into the goal, 0-1.

After PFC Victoria captain Jakub Malczuk had hit an effort wide of the Westside goal, from 25 yards out, the highly skilful Benjamin Anderson would then receive a good lofted pass out on the left flank. He would go forward with the ball, before sending a looping cross into the home team’s penalty area, at the back post, with Kai George hitting a first time effort over the goal. Soon after that good chance for Westside, Benjamin Anderson would pass the ball across to Zachary Johnson-Read, by the near post of the PFC Victoria goal, however, his resulting effort went over the goal. And then in the ninth minute of the game Westside would double their lead. Some great skill and ball control from Benjamin Anderson on the left flank, would result in him evading a couple of PFC Victoria defenders on the left flank, before taking the ball into the left-hand side of their box. His following low effort across the goal wasn’t gathered properly by goalkeeper Milan Czerwonka, with the ball then going into his goal, despite his best efforts to recover it, 0-2.

PFC Victoria would try their best to get into the game, against a very well organised Westside team. After Roman Virstiuk had got to a pass on the left-hand side of the Westside penalty area, the PFC Victoria winger would hit a powerful effort just wide of Sebastian Hunt’s left-hand post. However, unable to really deal with the fast paced start of the visiting side, PFC Victoria would concede a third goal in the 14th minute of the game. As another good Westside move would this time result in Zachary Johnson-Read’s short through-ball pass finding Kai George on the right-hand side of the home team’s penalty area. And George would hit a powerful and clinical effort into the bottom left-hand corner of the goal, 0-3.

Kai George would almost get a second goal a couple of minutes after getting his first goal of the game, with him getting to Emmanuel Folorunso’s through-ball pass on the right-hand side of the PFC Victoria box, but Milan Czerwonka would make a good stop to deflect Kai George’s effort behind for a corner-kick. And soon after that good chance, Kai George would head over following a corner-kick delivery to the near post of Milan Czerwonka’s goal. The game was pretty much won a couple of moments after Benjamin Anderson had an effort from the left-hand side of the PFC Victoria box, which was gathered by Czerwonka. As another good and intricate passing move would end in the away side getting a goal. With Joe Robertson’s lofted pass (from inside of the PFC Victoria penalty area), finding Emmanuel Folorunso, in behind the PFC Victoria defence, as Folorunso volleyed the ball low into the goal, 0-4.

There continued to be chances during the latter stages of the first half. Following a mistake from a PFC Victoria defender, this allowed Kai George to take the ball through on goal, into the PFC Victoria box, before seeing his effort well saved by Czerwonka. At the opposite end of the pitch, a couple of minutes later, Roman Virstiuk would hit an effort just over the Westside goal, from the edge of their penalty area, before Westside created two more chances, very late on in the first half. The first chance occurred after Benjamin Anderson’s flicked header on goal from inside of the PFC Victoria box, was kept out low down by Milan Czerwonka. And then moments later, Anderson’s cross to Joe Robertson, was headed over at the near post.

Five minutes into the second half, PFC Victoria would get a goal back in the game. Following a ricochet (after a good move) inside of the Westside penalty area, Kacper Kloc would side-foot the ball into the goal, off the goalkeeper’s left-hand post, 1-4.  PFC Victoria had started the second half at a better intensity, than the first half. After Joe Robertson had looped a header over after meeting Alex Foord’s corner-kick at the back post, two different PFC Victoria players, first Yurii Kohuch and then Kacper Kloc, would hit efforts wide of the Westside goal, from the edge of their penalty area. Despite an improved performance from PFC Victoria during the opening stages of the second half, Westside would get their fifth goal of the game in the 62nd minute. With substitute Calum Reeves getting to a good pass out on the right flank, before whipping a fine cross into the centre of the home team’s penalty area, with Zachary Johnson-Read able to impressively volley the ball into the goal, 1-5.

PFC Victoria substitute Joe Stabler would hit a low effort wide from distance, before  Kacper Kloc had an effort blocked (from inside of the Westside box), on the goal-line by a Westside defender. And the impressive Kacper Kloc would then, a couple of minutes later, curl a good free-kick effort from the edge of the visitors’ box, narrowly over their goal. Very late on in the game, Westside substitute Darren Nolan would get to the ball close to the edge of the PFC Victoria penalty area, but his effort on goal was kept out by Czerwonka. And then soon after that chance, Arkadiusz Wilk would turn on the ball, right on the edge of the Westside penalty area, before hitting an effort just over the goal. I was very impressed with how Westside played their football last night, from start to finish. Their intensity, organisation across the pitch and movement off the ball, made it very difficult for the home side to play their football effectively. Westside are one of the best step 6 sides that I have seen so far this season.

I thought that every single player on Steve Walters’ Westside team, was very good on Tuesday. They all performed their roles on the pitch very well and efficiently, with Emmanuel Folorunso, captain Alex Foord, Zachary Johnson-Read, Kai George, and Benjamin Anderson, just some of the very impressive players against PFC Victoria London.